The community’s favorite furry friend

Henry is a 7-year-old tabby that has been lurking around the school in recent months, making friends, exploring new places and gaining attention. Emily Nolan, Henry’s owner, shares his life story and how his newfound fame affects his day to day life. 

“He has always been a people person, he loves to get pets and attention from everyone,” Nolan said. 

Henry has been spotted on the field, by the back and front doors, in the parking lot and roaming around the surrounding neighborhood. 

When Henry’s family brought him home for the first time, they soon realized he was going to be an outside cat. 

“He was instantly jumping over the kitty gate and explored every inch of the house,” Nolan said. 

During the first few years of his life, Henry didn’t roam very far. He would come and go from his  house and only end up a few blocks away.

“Three years ago his territory started to expand, that’s when we started getting more calls about him and would often find him in the high school parking lot,” Nolan said. 

She adds that sometimes her and her family wouldn’t see Henry for weeks at a time, but his food would be gone in the morning, so they knew he was still around. 

Henry loves attention and he has learned that he can get lots of it from students. 

“I get pictures of him in other peoples homes sleeping on their couches [or] porches, walking with them and of little kids hanging out with him,” Nolan said. 

After calls increased and Henry began traveling further, they equipped him with a GPS tracker. Nolan says now they can see how far he travels and if he goes too far, they can retrieve him. 

“On average he travels 6-8 miles a day,” Nolan said. 

Henry has ventured as far as Phinney Ridge and Ballard Market in the past few years. Nolan explains that the only time they require Henry to stay inside is after he gets in the occasional fight and needs time indoors to heal.

Henry has gained lots of attention from students, reeling in quite the reputation. He’s known as a super sweet furry friend that roams in the parking lot looking for pets.

 “I love that Henry has so many people that watch out for him and know who he is, he is absolutely living his best life out there,” Nolan said. 

It is very clear that Henry is loved by many and he will always be looked out for by the community. 

“We enjoy that people share their Henry stories with us,” Nolan said. 

Continue to look out for Henry in the mornings when walking to school, or on your way out to the parking lot. He might be there waiting for some attention!